Science writer Quammen, author of 2003's excellent Monster of God: The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind, presents a well-researched, well-written, and decidedly even account of several serious, and sometimes deadly diseases that have made the leap from animal hosts to humans. From viral diseases like Hendra, Marburg, Ebola, AIDs, and influenza, to bacterial diseases such as Lyme, Q-fever, and Psittacosis, to the plasmodium parasites that cause the various types of malaria, Quammen traces significant outbreaks of the diseases in humans, and sifting through the written records and interviews with the researchers who were in the field, he recounts the backtracking of the disease to its animal host. Quammen patiently explains how doctors, veterinarians, and microbiologists attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding outbreaks around the globe. He explains the basics of virology, and touches on the basics of bacteriology. And he shows his readers the difference between a reservoir host and a species that is also experiencing an outbreak infection. Those that are reservoir hosts "carries the pathogen, harbors it chronically, while suffering little of no illness." Other animal hosts, suspected of being reservoirs, are often proved not to be so by their absence. Gorillas were suspected as a reservoir for Ebola, but their complete disappearance and suspected die-off prove that they were victims as well. Butchering the meat of an animal (specifically monkees, chimps, or gorillas) is, however, the suspected mode of initial transmission of both Ebola and HIV. A fascinating book told in a conversational and accessible style. I look forward to reading Quammen's classic Song of the Dodo.
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